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POLITICO 44

It’s a defining moment for the administration and its new policy of engagement with our enemies. As Iran moves inexorably towards becoming a nuclear power, the U.S. will join Great Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany Thursday in Geneva in an effort to prod the Islamic Republic to change course. The unfortunate reality for President Obama is that there is absolutely no evidence that Iran is willing to reach any agreement acceptable on U.S. terms – much less use negotiations for any purpose other than to buy more time for its illicit nuclear enrichment activities.

Engaging Iran on the nuclear issue is nothing new. Attempts by Great Britain, France and Germany from 2003 to 2005 to negotiate a suspension of the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program were an exercise in futility. As both sides talked, Iran only stepped up its enrichment activities. In the same vein, Iran rejected a generous U.S.-supported Western package of political and economic concessions offered three years ago by the West in exchange for a stop to Iran’s nuclear program.

The key point is that we have been down this road before – and it has reached a dead end. This time around we simply don’t have the luxury of time. The U.S. ambassador to the IAEA says that Iran already has enough low-enriched uranium to build one bomb. Meanwhile, the revelation that Iran has been secretly constructing a second uranium enrichment facility on a military base exposes the ludicrousness of Iranian claims that their nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

The world understands the danger of a nuclear Iran. It knows that the ultimate weapon in the hands of the ruling clerics would allow the world’s most notorious state sponsor of terrorism commit nuclear blackmail against whomever it pleases. And the nuclear arms race this unpleasant development would set off across the Middle East isn’t exactly in the best interests of world peace.

That’s why tomorrow in Geneva our bottom line must be an immediate halt to Iran’s nuclear enrichment capabilities. No exceptions, no excuses. We also must insist that Iran gives the International Atomic Energy Agency unfettered access to its new nuclear facility near the city of Qom and all of its other facilities.

If – or shall we be honest and say, when - Iran holds true to its insistence that its nuclear program is off the table, President Obama should not delay in rallying the international community around the program of “crippling sanctions” that Secretary Clinton has threatened. A beefed-up regime of international sanctions against Iran’s banks, energy sector and import-export industry can inflict very heavy pain against Iran’s leadership.

The Iranian regime brutally suppresses its own citizens, sponsors terror against our troops in Iraq and against free nations around the world, and thumbs its nose at international law. Yet even as we head into negotiations predestined to fail, the temptation remains to bury our heads in the sand, hope and pray that somehow this time Iran will act differently, and play along with Iran’s stalling game. This is a mistake because it gives Iran the idea that regardless of what it says or does, the West will inevitably come crawling back to the table out of desperation.

President Obama is following through on his controversial pledge for the United States to sit down and talk with Iran. But in doing so he cannot be afraid to call Iran’s bluff and pursue a different course. He must treat Iran’s government as the oppressive and unyielding engine of terror that it is, not as the trustworthy and compromising rational actor we all wish it could be. Should he expeditiously follow through on the heavy sanctions Iran deserves, the president will have the support of a clear majority of Congress.

Does Eric Cantor advocate Israel signing onto the Nuclear Non-Prolifilration Treaty or face sactions and suspension of aide as well? What's good for the goose you know.

It may have helped our cause if Republicans hadn't made Iran stronger by installing a Shiite government in Iraq. Iran has also been constructing these secret nuclear facilities under Bush's nose and I don't remember Cantor having an opinion in all that time. I find it funny that he would form one now. You guys allowed us to get hit, never got the folks behind it, wasted a trillion dollars and thousands of lives in the wrong war, allowed N. Korea and Iran to further their nuclear capabilities, and oversaw the worst financial collapse since the Great Depression. Republicans have ruined this country, please just sit down and shut up all of you. You have no credibility.

Wanna bet the iranians are going to say something new here and then do something else again whilst they keep on going with their uranium enrichment. They know we elected a neophyte fool to the highest office in the land and hat he will throw every single US ally under a bus to further the Carter agenda of Foreign Policy that he seems to have adopted.

In international affairs, Obama is an ineffective feckless weak leader who is more than willing to let the Anti US UN direct our foreign policy. Another disgrace!

It's clear that you are nothing more a parrot of "Dear Leader" Bush used the ahem,"multinational discussions/six party talks" with both Iran and North Korea. What did it get us? Nothing but gave them all the time in the world to keepon developing their nuke programs. Funny, but isn't talk, talk, talk just what you Libanazis wanted? Well, you got it and as usual this is a case where actions speak louder than words.

And as for the economy, if I recall correctly, it was humming along until your party took over Congress. Oh, and wasn't it ACORN and La Raza that forced the banks to make all those crappy loans by threatening to call them racist if they didn't? And in Congress, who was it who forced Fannie & Freddie to loosen up their credit standards? Frank, Dodd, Rangel, Waters, Schumer, Pelosi, & Reid.

Keep on spewing Libanazi popaganda. "Dear Leader" will be proud of you.

Actually the title of this article should have been: "U.S. illusions about Iran."

First. Iran is in Geneva for "talks" - not for "negotiations!" Iran's nuclear program is a "closed issue," as the Iranians have clarified and written "on stone," period. The talks in Geneva are just a chance for Iran to remind that to its Western foes - not to succumb to their will.

The statement in the article "The world understands the dangers of a nuclear Iran," (paragraph 5) is false! The world is not on the U.S. side on most international issues because of the U.S. warmongering. That is why when global issues were called for a vote on the United Nations General Assembly, the U.S. usually was the big loser with only itself, and a few banana republics on its side. If the U.S. today takes the matter of Iran's nuclear program for a vote in the United Nations General Assembly, the U.S. won't master more than 42 votes maximum - including its "arm twisted allies' -as Edward Kennedy used to call the poor countries the U.S. forced to vote reluctantly for the U.S. And out of the 192 U.N. member states, 150 or more will vote for Iran. The U.N. General Assembly has always been a disaster for the U.S., and most times it stood alone with Israel, Honduras and Palau votes only. Therefore, the terms "The World," or "The International Community", terms always used by the U.S. as supporters of its views, had never been accepted by the global audiences as nothing more than U.S. propaganda in the Western media.

For example: The U.S. calls Cuba a dictatorial and and human rights violator regime, but on a U.S. versus Cuba vote on the U.N. General Assembly on October 8, 2008, Cuba was supported by 185 countries, and the U.S. ONLY by 3 - while 3 countries abstained! If the U.S., therefore, believes that Iran presents a "threat" to the International community -as it claims, a vote at the U.N. General Assembly would certainly settle the matter. But the U.S. would never dare to take the issue there and end up with a pie in the face!

Unfortunately, the U.S. tiff with Iran is not really and Iran-U.S. issue; the U.S. just tries to perpetuate the Israeli military pre-eminence in Middle East. And calling Iran "a threat to international peace" -in order to serve Israeli interests- is quite preposterous! On June 3, 2009, The Institute for Economics and Peace, an Australian Non-Profit Research Body, published its Global Peace Index. And out of 144 countries, Israel was rated 141 - just ahead of Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq! (Jerusalem Post, June 3, 2009) Well, the joke, therefore, on which country is a threat to international community is certainly on us, and neither the international community, nor Iran can take the U.S. demand seriously. We can shout and yell with false and distorted claims about Iran, but when it comes to global peace, we are the bully serving our Middle East bully - not the international peace and security. Retsos, retired professor

Obama and his team must stick to their deadlines in these negotiations and not confuse headlines and photo ops with actual progress.

My concern is that the President has painted himself into a corner. If the negotiations don't yield anything but a promise to meet again, nothing has been achieved in terms of slowing the Iranian enrichment timetable. At that point Mr. Obama has to press for more sanctions as he has committed to by this December. If the Russians or Chinese either veto or water down the proposed sanctions, what options are left for the President but to start all over again?

We know Iran intends to build nuclear weapons and we know they are developing delivery systems. We also have a very clear idea of their target list - Israel, our Persian Gulf forces, the Straits of Hormuz. How comfortable are we that once built, they will not use them?

The primary purpose of engaging Iran is to convince them to suspend their nuclear weapons program.

The key point is that we have been down this road before – and it has reached a dead end. This time around we simply don’t have the luxury of time. The U.S. ambassador to the IAEA says that Iran already has enough low-enriched uranium to build one bomb. Meanwhile, the revelation that Iran has been secretly constructing a second uranium enrichment facility on a military base exposes the ludicrousness of Iranian claims that their nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

nor do americans without health insurance as another 47,000 or more will die this year.

but you can't build anything other than perhaps a dirty bomb with this stuff. what you fail to state is that having low enriched uranium IS NOT A VIOLATION UNDER NPT. in fact, what you call this sweet heart deal offered by bush, required iran to have their enrichment done by either the russians or some other state, again their enrichment below highly enriched thresholds for nuclear weapons grade is not a violation of NPT. rep cantor, wanna make a substantive contribution to the conversation? why not offer a bill cutting off US foreign aid to israel until it joins the NPT?

liberal democrats refuse to believe that evil exist in the world.they would rather be at the right hand of the devil than in his way.candy a** libs have no spine for conflict.the usa is called on from time to time to defend democracy and freedom,also for aid and relief during disasters we are the givingest people in the world.we also have national interest and allies all over the world who expect us to lead,not beg for help at the unholly un.how many other countries will we let down before our credibility is no more.vietnam,somalia,iraq,isreal,poland,check republic,honduras,etc.. we are at war america with a very evil bunch,muslims and radical muslims are here in our own backyard plotting to kill on a massive level,not to mention in afganistan and iran,iraq,north korea.hoping they dont attack us again is obamas plan of action,he also sides with all the bad dictators in the world,this is very unsettling trying to make freinds with these evil people is not what is expected of the usa,we should push for freedom and democracy and civil rights when the times warrant,not when its politicaly motivated.

I believe that Eric Cantor will seek the GOP nomination in 2012. Of course the religious bigots who now control that party will never give it to him because of his religion. Pigs will fly, the earth will fry and David Duke will become head of the NAACP before THAT ever happens. It begs the musical question: Why on earth is this knucklehead a Republican anyway?

If you think about it for a moment or two, Eric Cantor would be the ideal Republican nominee in '12. The Semitic Ronald Reagan! He's good looking, he has a really nice speaking voice, perfect manners, a lovely wife, three well-behaved children - and all the substance of a hot air balloon. The guy is made to order, are you kidding me? And just think of the marketing possibilities for the GOP spin doctors:

WE MADE HISTORY FOUR YEARS AGO BY ELECTING A BLACK GUY AS PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. LET'S DO IT AGAIN BY ELECTING A JEWISH GUY!